In Tel Aviv or near the Parliament in Jerusalem, tens of thousands of Israelis marched on Saturday July 22 to hammer home their opposition to a controversial judicial reform. This revision, carried by the government of Binyamin Netanyahu, deeply divides Israel, shaken since January by one of the longest protest movements in its history. It must be voted on in the next few days.

“Democracy or revolution!” chanted protesters in Tel Aviv on Saturday, while tens of thousands of others sang pro-democracy slogans for this 29th straight evening of mobilization, according to a journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP) on the spot. On Saturday, protests also took place in Beersheva (south), Herzliya and Kfar Saba north of Tel Aviv, according to organizers.

According to the government, the reform aims, among other things, to rebalance powers, by reducing the prerogatives of the Supreme Court, which the executive considers politicized, in favor of Parliament. But its detractors believe that it risks opening the way to an anti-liberal or authoritarian drift.

A walk between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Starting Sunday noon in the Knesset (Parliament), debates will be held on a reform measure aimed at canceling the possibility for Israeli justice to rule on the “reasonableness” of government decisions. This clause will then be voted on in 2? and 3? readings. If passed, it will be the first major component of the proposed judicial reform to become law.

To pressure lawmakers, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside the Knesset and Supreme Court in Jerusalem on Saturday night after walking the 40-mile or so between Tel Aviv and the Holy City. Armed with umbrellas for protection from the scorching sun, water bottles and Israeli flags, the marchers marched down a stretch of the highway, stopping at noon and at night.

By late afternoon, hundreds of protesters were setting up makeshift tents near the Knesset and promising to spend the night there. “This government is an extremist, religious government and we hope to bring it down as soon as possible,” said Guy Maidan, who participated in the multi-day march with his family.

“Many of us will camp here until the vote is overturned,” he said. The government is “trying to overthrow the whole democracy, essential laws and human rights, and we are here to stop it,” said Keren Mor, one of the protesters.

Approved at first reading on the night of July 10 to 11, the clause on “reasonableness” had forced Mr. Netanyahu in January to dismiss the number two in the government, Arié Dery, convicted of tax evasion, following the intervention of the Supreme Court.

Reviews of Joe Biden

Other measures are causing protesters dissatisfaction, such as the one modifying the process for appointing judges, already adopted by deputies at first reading. Critics of the Prime Minister, on trial for corruption, accuse him of wanting to use this reform to mitigate a possible verdict against him.

At least 1,142 Israeli Air Force reservists threatened on Saturday to suspend their voluntary service if the Knesset passes the bill. Any legislation applied in an “unreasonable” manner, “would undermine my willingness to continue risking my life and compel me, with great sadness, to suspend my voluntary reserve service”, they said, as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict escalates.

On Thursday evening, Mr. Netanyahu said he remained “open” to negotiations with the opposition, while the project also drew criticism abroad, notably in the United States, close allies of Israel. US President Joe Biden on Wednesday urged the Israeli government not to “rush” its reforms and proceed with caution, in an unusually direct critique of Israel’s domestic politics.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu will undergo emergency surgery to fit a pacemaker, his office said in a statement early Sunday, July 23, just days after he was discharged from hospital with a medical condition.

“Prime Minister Netanyahu will undergo a pacemaker implantation procedure tonight at Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer,” the statement said. “The procedure will take place under sedation, and the Minister of Justice as well as Deputy Prime Minister Yariv Levin will replace him during this time,” the document adds.